Carnitas cuts explained: leg, shoulder, ribs, maw and flank

When someone orders carnitas by the kilo for the first time, they almost always ask the same thing: "what is espaldilla?", "what is buche?", "what do you recommend?". Fair enough. The names aren't obvious and the difference between cuts is real.

Here's the full guide. We've split it the way the menu does: Traditional (leg, crispy skin, shank) and Special (shoulder, ribs, maw, flank).

Traditional cuts - $580/kg

Pork leg (pierna)

The lean meat of the pig, the best-known cut and our best seller. Clean flavor, tender fiber, no surprises. If you've never ordered carnitas by the kilo and don't know where to start, order pierna. It never disappoints. It's the favorite of families with kids and of anyone just getting to know carnitas.

Crispy skin (cuero)

Also called cuerito. It's pork skin slow-cooked until it's tender inside and crunchy outside. It isn't for everyone: intense flavor, particular texture. But whoever likes it, likes it for life. People from Monterrey who grew up eating carnitas almost always ask for a quarter kilo of cuero alongside their pierna.

Pork shank (chamorro)

The lower part of the hind leg. At Los Prado we sell it by the piece, not by the kilo, and the price depends on the size that day. Chamorro has bone and a lot of concentrated flavor around it. If you like pulling meat off the bone and gnawing on it afterward, this is your cut.

Special cuts - $640/kg

Shoulder (espaldilla)

The second best seller after pierna. It's the upper part of the front leg. It has more intramuscular fat than the leg, which makes it juicier and more flavorful. If pierna is the safe cut, espaldilla is the "let me try something better" cut. Almost nobody goes back to pierna after trying espaldilla.

Ribs (costilla)

Pork ribs, bone-in. Plenty of fat, plenty of flavor, plenty to gnaw on. People who order costilla generally don't share. They eat it themselves. Consider yourself warned.

Pork maw (buche)

The pig's stomach. Deep flavor, firm and elastic texture. It's the favorite of connoisseurs and of the real michoacanos who walk in saying "qué pasó, paisano". If you've never had buche, order a quarter kilo alongside your regular order. It's worth knowing, even if it isn't for everyone.

Flank (aldilla) - only the last Sunday of the month

The most anticipated cut on the menu. Aldilla is a muscle from the pig's abdomen: fibrous, full of juice, intensely flavorful. We prepare it only on the last Sunday of each month, not because it's complicated, but because that's how Don Hugo worked it from the beginning and it became part of the identity of the place.

People know this and plan around it. There are customers who come only on that Sunday, take 1 or 2 kilos of aldilla, and disappear until the next last Sunday. It's the cut that sells out fastest. By 1 pm, it's gone.

What should I order on my first visit?

Our honest recommendation: the Special Family Package ($565). It gets you a mix of shoulder and a bit of the other special cuts, with sides. It's the best introduction to the Los Prado universe without missing the cuts we're proudest of.

If you're on a tighter budget, the Traditional Family Package ($535) with pierna is also an excellent way in.

The trick of mixing cuts

We used to sell packages with cuts mixed to order. People would ask for "half a kilo of pierna and half of espaldilla" or "a quarter of pierna, a quarter of cuero, half of costilla". It worked, but it got confusing to calculate and to choose.

That's why we now split packages into Traditional (one set of cuts) and Special (another). But if your gathering wants variety and you don't mind building it from scratch, call +52 81 8347 2312 and we'll put together a custom order. Don Hugo handles it personally.